I want to submit evidence

When you contact us about your PCN please include any supporting evidence. You can attach up to six files with a maximum size of 10MB each.

Please ensure that you provide the following details:

the PCN number,

the vehicle registration and

your name, full postal address and email address if you have one

When making an appeal, challenge or representation, we will consider the circumstances and any supporting evidence that you can supply. As an example, if there are mitigating circumstances such as a medical emergency, then we would need a letter from the hospital or your GP confirming the emergency. We would not accept an appointment card detailing a routine appointment or examination, as these would not generally be an emergency.

Other mitigating circumstances may include incidents such as vehicle breakdown. In this case the driver would be expected to remove the vehicle within 24 hours and we would require appropriate evidence, such as a vehicle recovery documentation.

We can only make decisions based on the evidence presented to us. If you have documentary evidence which supports your case, such as photographs, please provide us with a copy.

I tried to Pay and Display or Pay by PhoneIf you purchased a pay and display ticket but it was not on display correctly at the time of the contravention, you will need to provide a copy of your pay and display ticket, and explain why it was not shown.

If you tried to purchase a pay and display ticket but the machine was out of order, you must supply the machine number, the location of the machine and the approximate time you tried to purchase the ticket.

If you tried to use Pay by Phone and you were unable to activate time due to a system failure, you should contact Pay by Phone and request information on the session you tried to book.

My vehicle broke downIf your vehicle broke down in the street, you will need to provide proof from a garage, breakdown company or a store where you purchased parts.

I had a Medical EmergencyIf you had to park on the street because of a medical emergency, you will need to provide a letter of confirmation from a medical professional.

I was Loading/UnloadingIf you were loading/unloading, you will need to provide a copy of the delivery note or invoice.

This vehicle was on Hire at the time the PCN was issuedIf the vehicle was on hire at the time of the contravention, you will need to provide a copy of the valid hire agreement.

I sold this vehicle before the PCN was issuedIf you did not own the vehicle when the PCN was given, you will need to provide us with proof of purchase or sale.

Important information about the PCN Process

Make sure you have your PCN reference number (beginning with KE) and your vehicle registration number to hand.

Once we receive your challenge, we will aim to reply to you within 10 working days of receiving it. All actions on the notice will be suspended until a full reply has been sent.

Please note that we are currently experiencing delays to challenges. All backlog cases have been identified and held, and during this time charges will not increase. We are giving responses as quickly as possible. During this time please do not resubmit your challenge.

I want to make an Informal ChallengeThis option is available if you have received:

A PCN from a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO)

An informal challenge should be made within 14 days of the contravention date. Your PCN will be put on hold until you receive the Council’s decision.

If your challenge is successful, the PCN is cancelled and no further action is taken.

If your challenge is unsuccessful and rejected, you have another opportunity to pay at the discounted rate.

If you are not satisfied with the decision, you must wait for a Notice to Owner.

The registered keeper can then make formal representation.

At this stage, representations are made against the full PCN charge. The discounted rate will no longer be available.

I have received a Notice to Owner and want to make a Formal RepresentationThis option is available to the registered keeper of a vehicle if they have received:

A Notice to Owner, relating to PCN issued by a Civil Enforcement Officer

Each of these documents lists the specific grounds on which representations can be made.

An officer within the Parking Correspondence Team will carefully consider the representations and reply to the registered keeper.

If the representation is successful, the PCN is cancelled and no further action is taken.

If the representation is unsuccessful, a formal Notice of Rejection is sent to the registered keeper.

This includes payment instructions and a form allowing a further appeal to the independent adjudicator, should the registered keeper choose not to pay the full charge for the PCN within 28 days.

In certain circumstances you may be requested to provide further evidence at this stage to substantiate the claims made in your representation. Please ensure this evidence is sent back directly to the Council, and not to London Tribunals

I want to Appeal to the Independent Adjudicator – London TribunalsIf your formal representations have been rejected and you want to take this matter further, you can lodge an appeal with London Tribunals.

An appeal cannot be made to London Tribunals unless you have received a Notice of Rejection and an appeal form, as you will need the verification number on the Notice of Rejection.

You can refer to London Councils for more information on the appeals process or contact London Tribunals on 020 7520 7200 or visit the London Tribunals website.

Please note the adjudicator can only legally consider appeals on specific grounds.

Once you have submitted your appeal to the adjudicator, a hearing date will be set and the Council has the opportunity to defend its decision to reject the formal representation.

You can choose to receive the adjudicator’s decision by post or attend the hearing in person.

The adjudicator’s decision is binding on both the Council and the person making the appeal.

If an appeal is unsuccessful, the full PCN charge is payable. If the PCN is not paid a charge certificate will be issued.

If your appeal is successful, the PCN is cancelled and no further action will be taken.

I have received a Charge Certificate or Order for RecoveryThe Council may issue a Charge Certificate 28 days after:

a ‘Notice to Owner’ has been served and the Council receives no payment or representation

representations have been made and rejected and no payment has been received and no appeal has been made

an appeal to the adjudicator has been refused and no payment has been made

The Council may issue a Charge Certificate after 14 days where an appeal to the adjudicator has been withdrawn.

The Charge Certificate tells the vehicle owner that the penalty charge has increased by 50 per cent and that action will be taken to recover the amount due through the County Court if it is not paid within 14 days.

If the penalty charge has not been paid 14 days after the Charge Certificate has been issued, the Council may apply to the Traffic Enforcement Centre at Northampton County Court to recover the charge as if it were payable under a County Court Order. Once this has been registered, the Council will send you an Order for Recovery. This notice advises you to either pay the unpaid penalty charge or to complete the enclosed Witness Statement form. The outstanding PCN amount will increase by £8 at this time for court costs.

I want to make a Witness StatementIf you decide not to pay at this stage, you can complete the Witness Statement and send it to the Traffic Enforcement Centre. You will need to explain why the penalty charge should not be paid, and ask for the debt registration of the unpaid penalty charge to be revoked.

You must do this within 21 days from the time you receive the Order for Recovery.

Send the Witness Statement directly to the Traffic Enforcement Centre and not to the Council.

The Witness Statement can only be made on the following grounds:

you did not receive the Notice to Owner in question

you made formal representations to the Council regarding the penalty charge but did not receive a Notice of Rejection

you appealed to the parking adjudicator against the Council’s decision to reject your representations but had no response to your appeal

you have paid in full the penalty charge to which the order relates

My PCN debt is with Enforcement AgentsAn Enforcement Agent (EA) is a bailiff; they are an appointed company or person to collect unpaid debts for a Creditor.

Following progression of the unpaid penalty charge, the Council has now registered the PCN as a debt with the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) at Northampton County Court. The TEC has authorised the Council to issue a warrant of control to an EA to recover the outstanding debt. The debt now includes the statutory enforcement fees and also the PCN value owed to the Council. It is important that you contact the EA directly and as soon as possible, especially if you have any queries regarding the outstanding debt or the recovery process.

The Council expects every EA working on its behalf to act correctly and professionally at all times. Should you wish to make a complaint about any aspect of the EA’s actions, you should first contact the EA’s company and ask for details of their complaints procedure. If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive you may send your complaint to:

Equita Limited

Have all the evidence you need to support your case at hand. You can upload up to six files, but please note especially if you are uploading photographs that we can only accept JPEG/JPG, BMP or PDF files of 10MB or less.

Write your case in a text editor, such as Microsoft Word, WordPad or Notepad then paste it into the form or upload it as evidence because the online form will time out after 60 minutes for security reasons and you will lose the data.

If you wish to challenge more than one PCN using this online service, you will need to submit each challenge separately.